Turrentine Jones (Interview)

In a city flooded with aspiring blues rock bands trying to become recognised within the same sombre 12 bar constraints, a little bit of originality goes a long way. Already having appeared on ITV4 and had their praises sung by The Guardian, Radio One DJ Zane Lowe and Q magazine, 4Q catches up with Turrentine Jones, a self- confessed ‘electronic blues’ trio currently aiming at redefining the Manchester music scene.

Made up of Chris Carcamo on drums, Jude Neville on guitar / vocals and Thomas Scotson on the electric organ, Turrentine Jones have been a trio ever since Chris joined four months ago. Originally an acoustic blues player in Australia, Jude escaped the unsupportive scene at home and came over to England to play on the advice of a friend. “Australia has a terrible market for bands which are just starting out, they export young talent and if they become successful elsewhere, then they want them back. Melbourne has a pretty cool scene, but again it’s difficult, so I came over here to give it a go.”

The band are currently splitting their time between Manchester and London, travelling the country to spread their own brand of blues rock to a new audience. “At the moment we’re [travelling] to play one venue at a time.” If it sounds like hard work, it is. “We know that won’t be doable in the long term because you can’ t get a following unless we play somewhere every week.” The bittersweet world of the blues is certainly carried in every moment of the wandering ‘Della May’, an effortlessly cool three minute mix of slack strings and rock-steady drums underlit with an organ in the mode of the Eels during an upbeat ‘Daisies of the Galaxy’ moment.

In living the hectic lifestyle of a band working hard to break into a larger audience, the band have already got designs on turning the hard knocks into real gains. “We’ve been filming a documentary, not just about us, but about the whole music scene,” says Jude. “Everything to do with the band lifestyle; we’ve been taking as much footage as we can for months.” When asked what motivated them to take this route in connecting to their audience, the answer is simple: “We like the idea of a brutally honest, upfront behind-the-scenes film giving people as much personal information as possible.” All the travel and the tension of band life seem to be exorcised in the song ‘Young Devil Queen’, Jude’s effortless vocals carrying the resonance of a young Iggy Pop but cleaner and more enigmatic. With the starry harmonies and rusted guitar work, it’s the perfect soundtrack for an encounter with a devil at the crossroads.

Coming together followed a chance encounter between laconic frontman Jude and Chris Carcamo’s uncle. After putting him in touch with Chris they got together for a jam and turned their attention toward finding a bass player; a thing which proved to be problematic. “We were looking for a bass player and we got all kinds of different people, but eventually we just gave up on it when we couldn’t find one.” The new direction was settled upon when they met Tom and heard him play the organ. “Tom came around and we got together, kept playing and refining our sound.” ‘Midnight Wings’ is a testament to this refinement, a seamless blend of blues / folk / prog goodness. Lugubrious fret sliding and a no-nonsense drum beat make the song tight enough to be digested by the casual listener, while making the inclusion of the organ seem obvious. The obvious choice for the first single was released in a download only format on May 14th.

Evolution was a trial and error affair for the band – “At first we were kind of playing along to each other, it took a lot of playing together to work out what we were doing,” says Tom. “That’s because we had to focus a lot on harmonies as well as bass lines. It worked out great though and now we’re a blues trio.”
Once the band had found their balance, the formula seemed a sure- fire winner. They played their first gig as a headline act at a night called The Good Ship at the North London Tavern. “We played an organ night which we headlined as our first gig. It was a small venue so we were really able to take control.” The organ comes into its own as the true inspiration for the song ‘Candy Snake’, where the band reveal their muddy, bluesy guts. Uplifting the track, the organ adds a touch of gospel to the bands’ deep south swagger.

When it came time to record their songs, the band decided on a more personal approach. Using their own recording gear, they “recorded 4 songs live in 3 hours then produced it after being out in town, we were at it until 4 the next afternoon, high as kites!” As for an upcoming E.P, the band promises that it is just around the corner. “We’ve recorded all the songs we need. We just need to finally decide which one to release.” Watch this space.

For more information about Turrentine Jones and their upcoming events, visit www.myspace.com/turrentinejones

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